FaZe has chosen to forgo participation in ESL Pro League Season 21, making them the only eligible top-tier team to decline an invitation to the 24-team competition set to take place in Stockholm.
A total of 12 teams have officially accepted invites to the event, joining another 12 that secured their spots through ESL Challenger leagues and tournaments. The invites were determined based on the January 6 Valve Global Standings, with every other eligible team from G2 to 3DMAX accepting their places in the tournament.
FaZe’s decision to sit out this edition of the ESL Pro League follows the recent expansion of the 2025 competitive calendar, with tournament organizers such as PGL and StarLadder introducing more events. The tournament, now relocated from Malta to Sweden, is scheduled between PGL Cluj-Napoca and BLAST Open Lisbon, making scheduling a crucial factor for teams managing their workload.
ESL Pro League has also undergone a format shift for 2025, featuring two Major-style Swiss stages before moving into an eight-team playoff bracket. With FaZe stepping aside, GamerLegion has stepped in to claim the last available invitation, pushing Complexity, BIG, and Astralis just outside the qualification cutoff.
The tournament lineup is now set, with some notable inclusions from the ESL Challenger League regional finals, including the former Sangal core, now competing under HEROIC, as well as unique international additions like NRG and TYLOO.
Stage 2: Invited via VGS
Europe: G2, Vitality, MOUZ, Natus Vincere, Falcons
Russia: Spirit
Mongolia: The MongolZ
Other: Liquid
Stage 1: Invited via VGS
Brazil: FURIA
France: 3DMAX
Turkey: Eternal Fire
Europe: GamerLegion
Stage 1: Qualified via ESL Challenger
Europe: HEROIC (ECL48 EU), Nemiga (ECL48 EU)
Germany: M80 (ECL48 NA)
United States: NRG (ECL48 NA)
Brazil: paiN (ECL48 SA), MIBR (ECL48 SA)
China: TYLOO (ECL48 AS), Lynn Vision (ECL48 AS)
Australia: Mindfreak (ECL48 OC), Housebets (ECL48 OC), FlyQuest (ECL Atlanta)
Portugal: SAW (ECL Katowice)
With FaZe opting out and a new wave of international contenders stepping in, the upcoming season of ESL Pro League is shaping up to be a dynamic and competitive battleground.
